worship preview

Dear Saints: There's a message on our church sign advertising this Saturday's youth car wash from 9 am until 1 pm. The hope, of course, is that people who have dirty cars will decide to get their cars cleaned and then make a donation to our youth who are trying to raise support for their mission trips. While cleaning dirty cars is a worthwhile and admirable task, I was thinking that a church is meant to be a place where people get their hearts cleaned and their spirits washed. Indeed, every Sunday morning is meant to be a time when we bring our dirtied lives into God's presence and invite Him to take the spiritual grime off our souls. Through such cleansing, we become able to offer again the sweet fragrance of life that Christ offers. This Sunday, we will be reflecting on how the Holy Spirit offers this priceless gift of making us more alive and free and holy in Christ. We will focus specifically on a couple of Scriptures:John 3:1-21 and Romans 8:12-17, which are included below. In regards to the John passage, you might ask yourself these questions: what is the Spirit's role in making us alive in Christ? what specifically does the Spirit do? why does Jesus use the image of a "second birth" to describe this process? in what ways have you experienced the truth of what Jesus is sharing? In regards to the Romans passage, you might reflect on what it means to be led by the Spirit of God. How are you experiencing that leading now? What truth about about God and/or about yourself is being offered at this point in your life? We will also be celebrating the sacrament of communion together this Sunday. I ask you to prepare yourself to worship God by being in prayer for our gathering. In Christ, Bryan John 3 Jesus Teaches Nicodemus 1Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him." 3In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.a]">" 4"How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!" 5Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spiritb]"> gives birth to spirit. 7You should not be surprised at my saying, 'Youc]"> must be born again.' 8The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit." 9"How can this be?" Nicodemus asked. 10"You are Israel's teacher," said Jesus, "and do you not understand these things? 11I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.d]"> 14Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.e]"> 16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,f]"> that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.g]"> 19This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God." Romans 8:12-17 (New International Version) 12Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. 13For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, 14because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship.a]"> And by him we cry, "Abba,b]"> Father." 16The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. 17Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.